Magic
by Gargant Surprise
Summary: Maybe magic's in the eye of the beholder too? Short fic for KaruChan, who is SUPER AWESOME.


Title: Magic

Author: Gargant Surprise

Date: 20th October 2005

Comments: This one goes out to Karu. It also goes to the deepest bowls of hell, since it's so terribly bad. But I should probably let my poor pal read it before I send it on its not-so-merry way. For what it's worth Karu, I really do like you! Honest! I wasn't actively trying to write a crappy story just to spite you or anything!

Zidane/Vivi… when Karu writes it, you get cute harmless fluff. When I write it, you get DRIVEL. Alas, alas…

I don't think this needs any warnings. I mean, it has the word CORPSE. RUN WHILST YOU CAN, THE TRAUMA

Magic

It wasn't the first time that Zidane visited the city of Burmecia, so he hadn't been surprised at the rain that greeted their small party. Yet the downpour seemed heavier than what he was used to, and quickly chilled him through to the bone. It suited the sombre mood of their journey.

The tailed boy was huddled beneath a half-ruined archway, trying to stay warm. Freya had disappeared into a grand building, instructing her two friends to check the houses on the other side of the street. The search had proved fruitless; survivors seemed few and far between, all they seemed to uncover were corpses.

The blonde found his mind wandering back to the mysterious silver-haired man they had encountered so briefly but a few hours ago. Zidane had been determined to learn the truth of what had occurred in the city, but that determination had amounted to nought. General Beatrix had struck them down with an almost negligent air. And yet they lived. He slouched down further, pressing his hands beneath his arms to try and take the chill out of them. Worse still, they had failed to find Dagger…

Zidane turned at the sudden heat to his left. The little mage looked up at him, cupping a bright red flame in his hands and holding it towards the other boy. The fire looked absurdly small and lonely as they stood in the dark grey streets, but Zidane shuffled closer gratefully, grinning down at his companion.

"Are you okay?" The blonde asked quietly. It seemed almost blasphemous to speak loudly within the dead city. The question was a stupid one, he knew, but still he felt he should say something. This had to be hard on the young boy. Vivi looked down for a moment, his face obscured by the wide brim of his hat. Then, slowly, he began to nod, before pausing then shaking his head. Zidane knelt down, savouring the feel of heat against his face.

"We won't be here much longer, I promise." Zidane patted him on the shoulder, trying to sound reassuring. Vivi turned his gaze up again, his expression unsure.

"I don't think…" he shook his head again, and suddenly the flame in his hands extinguished. The little mage brought his hands together and wrung them nervously, "I-I don't think that M-Miss Freya likes me anymore…" He sniffed slightly.

"Don't be stupid!" Zidane forgot all about being quiet as he took Vivi's hands in his own, smiling lightly, "I've known Freya for years. Trust me, if she didn't like you you'd know about it."

Vivi didn't seem convinced. "B-b-but…" He stuttered, "B-but the B-Black Mages…"

Zidane chewed his lip thoughtfully for a moment. Every time he thought the boy had stopped worrying about the mysterious foes to who he bore such a striking resemblance, Vivi would prove him wrong. And now he'd done it again. _How am I supposed to help him?_ It was hard to imagine what Vivi was feeling.

"Look…" Zidane reached into his pocket, as if to find some divine inspiration within. He pulled out a coin, shiny even in the gloom. Grinning, he flipped the coin high into the air, before expertly snatching it out of the air with his other hand. Vivi followed the coins progress as it turned end over end, and clapped as Zidane caught it.

"Good, eh?" He soon had the Gil dancing across his knuckles, flipping and spinning, all the time gauging Vivi's reaction. The boy seemed enchanted. Tossing the coin skywards once more, Zidane flashed a wide grin at the mage before grabbing the gold in his fist. He paused for a moment, before opening his hand out for Vivi to see.

"It's gone!" The boy cried, clearly amazed. Zidane couldn't help but laugh at the wonder in his voice. Still snickering, the tailed boy reached behind Vivi's collar and withdrew the very coin, dropping into the startled boys hand. "W-wh… how did you do that?"

"I'm magic too," The blonde replied flippantly, standing up straight again and putting his hands on his hips. "If that makes you the same as those Black Mage guys, then I guess that's the same for me too."

Vivi stared up at him once more, "Really?"

"Sure! That means we're the same."

That took the young boy by surprise. "Y-you and me?" Zidane nodded, smiling lightly as Vivi began nervously fidgeting. "Um… Would it be… um, could I k-keep this…?" He held the coin in his hand still.

"Of course." Zidane took Vivi's hand in his own again, closing his fingers around the gleaming Gil piece. "Every time you start to worry about…" Zidane fumbled for the right word, chewing his lip again, "Um…"

"Stuff?"

The blonde clicked his fingers, pointing down at his companion, "That's the one! Whenever you're worried about stuff, just hold that and remember what I said, okay?" The mage nodded nervously, "Promise?"

"R-right. Promise." Vivi smiled up at him, carefully placing the coin in his pocket and patting it gently. "Thank you."

"No worries." Zidane turned, staring back out into the dismal rain-soaked streets. "C'mon, we really should go and find Freya. There's nothing more we can do here."

Vivi followed behind the tailed boy, patting his pocket again. It was still raining heavily. The buildings were still collapsed, destroyed, and the monsters were still prowling through the rubble. Yet somehow, despite all that, things didn't seem so bad as they had before.


End file.
